Nordic Football News

Tampere United v TPS

This game will be played in Pirkkala, at PJK’s home ground. Although this is a good 15km from Tampere, it is still the closest TamU have come to home in this League Cup campaign, having played their home games in Pori and Seinäjoki so far. This sorry situation is a result of the hard, unsuitable surface at Pirkkahalli, their usual winter home, which caused a few injuries last winter. TamU trained on the pitch in Pirkkala on Thursday and Friday in preparation for the game, and despite the changeable Finnish spring weather it looks like the pitch will be in reasonable nick.

“It’s nice to be closer to home,” said TamU Sporting Director Jarkko Wiss. “The pitch isn’t a grass one, and it won’t be perfect, as they have put a lot of rubber crumb on top of the snow to try and melt it. It will be a little bit uneven, but it is the best solution for us right now.”

“In the last few years we seem to have created a rivalry between the clubs, we’ve had some good matches,” continued Wiss. “I don’t think anyone will forget Ari Hjelm and Mixu Paatelainen shouting at each other at Tammela! That was one of the best games we’ve had, in terms of atmosphere, drama and excitement.”

TamU go into the game with Johennes Mononen, Toni Järvinen and Jonne Hjelm out injured, and Chris James doubtful. Apart from that there is a full squad to pick from. The return of energetic midfielder Juska Savolainen from Rosenborg has created some excitement among TamU fans, and they will most likely get to see him play in Pirkkala.

“I think Juska Savolainen will start, he has been training well, and we have 15 players competing for a spot,” explained Wiss. “It’s always good to have competition for places, and that increases the closer we get to the Veikkausliiga season.”

The TPS squad will include new loan signing from Fulham, Wayne Brown. The attacking midfielder strengthens a department weakened by Mika Ääritalo’s knee injury.

HJK Helsinki v IFK Mariehamn

HJK have a full squad to pick from, barring Paulus Roiha and Ville Taulo, who are coming back from injury but won’t be involved against the Ålanders. HJK coach Antti ‘the walrus’ Muurinen has a cunning plan:

“Of course, when you get this far in the League Cup, the aim is absolutely to win the competition,” revealed the moustachioed maestro. With a strategy like that, you can see why HJK are favourites for the Veikkausliiga championship this season. Will the walrus regret making his ‘let’s win it, hey lads?’ strategy public? Will any other Veikkausliiga clubs be able to implement it at the last minute? It looks like IFK may already have cottoned on.

“The aim is of course to win, because we’re so close to the end of the competition,” IFK coach Pekka Lyyski told veikkausliiga.com. “We don’t want to take any risks though, as the start of the Veikkausliiga season is so close.”

IFK are missing Willis Ochieng, Sasha Anttilainen and Paulus Arajuuri.The first is a long term injury, the latter two are recovering and the Mariehamners want to play it safe.